My First weeks being Leo’s MOM

As my post before this said, I became a mother for the first time a few months ago. Let me tell you how amazing these first few months have been. Baby Leo is such a joy and nothing is more rewarding than getting to watch him grow each day.

So let tell you what I have learned, or should I say what Leo has taught me..

Weeks 1-2: Having a newborn is a very busy and sensitive time. During my pregnancy I researched a million blogs, read books and had so many ideas of what I would do and not do as a new mother. I researched having a natural birth and decided that, that was what I wanted to do. I felt strongly against co-sleeping and thought that I would have my new baby on a strong sleeping schedule by 8 weeks. Well, none of that happened. (First let me say that I have nothing against anyone who has any ideas unlike mine. This blog is only about what I have learned about being a new mother through my eyes). I can honestly say that I went into this very over confidant.

I went into labor 4 days before my due date at around 2am. I had been having Braxton hicks contractions for couple of weeks and I wasn’t sure if these were the real thing or not. Soon enough the REAL contractions began. Everything I read about pain management went out the window. My idea of a natural birth lasted pretty much untill I got to the hospital. The pain was unreal. I read in a blog that when preparing for birth, go into it open-minded and do whatever works best for you and the baby. I was so focused on the pain that it was hard to relax and after being up all night with the contractions I was exhausted. So at 4am I decided to go for the epidural. I pretty much slept for the next 12 hours of labor, which was the most I had slept at one time in the last month! During my labor, the baby’s heart beat kept going up and down and when it came to the time to push I ended up having to go in for a C-Section. needless to say, the C-Section was not planned at all. I went into all of this with a specific birth plan, ideas of how to deal with the pain and all kinds of tricks to help me through the birth. None of that was used or even looked at once I was in the hospital. But at the end of everything, Baby and I were healthy and happy!

The next few days at the hospital went by fast. It was pretty much eat, sleep poop for baby. For me, I started my adventure of breastfeeding and sleep deprivation. I had to force myself to sleep sometimes because I couldn’t get enough of holding my precious baby. Thankfully breastfeeding came pretty easy to me and Leo. I had my milk in a few days after leaving the hospital and baby was an eating machine right from the start.

The first weeks at home were great! However it was nothing like I planned. I had all these ideas about what it would be like with baby. I thought that I would be able to get a the baby on somewhat of a sleeping schedule from the start, I thought that I would be up out of bed easily, well I thought wrong. I was very thankful for the help of my friends and family. Healing from a C-Section is no joke!

What I have learned most is that every mother and baby is different. There is no right or wrong when it comes to parenting as long as you and the baby are happy and healthy. My best advice is to tune out all the haters and do what’s best for you and your little one. It sounds a lot easier than it is. There are still times that I feel like I am doing things wrong just because for someone else their experience was different. Just enjoy your baby!